Furniture pedestal and method of manufacture



May 29, 1928. 1-',67l,402

c. A. BROWN mmmwmz: PEDESTAL AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE Filed Dec. 27,1924 fla mm I

I Patented May 29, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,57h4ti2 ENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. BROWN, F GARDNER. MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HEYWOOD WAKE-FIELD COMPANY, OF BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHU-SETTS.

FURNITURE PEDESTAL ATJI) METHOD OF MANUFACTURE.

Application filed December 27, 1924. Serial No. 758,384.

Pedestals for finniture such as school chairs have commonly been made ofcast iron. It is adiflicult matter to so cast a pedestal that its baseshall be flat to properly 5 rest on the floor since the casting-isliable to warp'when cooling. Ifthe base is not flat the pedestal isliable to be broken when being bolted to the floor. It is also liable tobe broken at its upper cndif the screw commonly employed to hold thechair spindle in its proper vertical position in the pedestal is set uptoo tightly. In order to receive the spindle also it has been the usualpractice to cast integral with the pedestal a pair of lugs havingtapered inner faces against which the spindle is urged by the tighteningbolt. This has been done by the use of a core but if the core is notproperly set in the mold these lugs are not properly related in thefinished casting.v As the taper is very slight, being approximate? 1ytwo degrees, the core must be set very accurately to produce the desiredresult. The cast metal pedestal is also of considerable weight.

It has also been proposed to draw the pedestal from sheet metal but thishas not been satisfactory because of the long neck portion or pillar ofthe pedestal which has been liable to break down under the drawingoperation unless particularly good stock is employed in which case theexpense is very considerable. It has also been attemptedto press sheetmaterial into vertical half sections of the pedestal and then weld,these sections together in pairs along vertical lines by means of ancity-acetylene flame. In this method of welding metal is added to thesections to close the space therebetween, leaving an unsightly joint.Because of this filling of the joint also there has been considerabledifficulty in producing a perfectly flat base.

7 Accordingto the present method the pedestal is made by fixing togethera plurality of horizontal sections. in most instances three suchsections being used, the lower section comprising the baseportion'ronnded up toward the pillar portion which may have a gradualtaper. This base portion may be pressed from sheet material, preferablywith a marginal stiffening flange extending downwardly and countersunkportions for the reception of fastening screws. This piece a quite Isection may comprise an upper frustoconical section of a smaller sizedtube or pipe. this size being that of the corresponding or smaller upperend of the second section.

This may be swaged down in the same man-.

nor as the second piece and its top swaged over to form a flat end whichis punched for the reception of the chair spindle. A hole is also madelaterally through one side of this piece and to it is fixed, as. by spotwelding. asocket member with an internally threaded boss portion of themember extending out through this hole; this to receive the bolt, theinner end of which ongages the spindle to fix it in properverticalposition. Also Within this top section opposite to the bolt may be fixeda U-shaped frame member having a V slot cut therein to form a pair ofspaced angle edges above andv below the axis of the securing bolt whichform two spaced hearings for the chair spindle the bolt itself forming athird bearing on the opposite side of the spindlebetween the two. Thisconstruction for fixing the spindle in adjusted position forms the subject matter of a divisional application for patent Serial No. 39,427,filed June 25, 1925, for furniture pedestals. Two adjacent sections arethen placed in an electric flash welding machine and welded together andthe third section is welded in the same mannerto these two. This methodof welding forms a. very thin projecting fin of metal at the joint whichis easily removed by grinding and as the sections are supported onforms, the movement of which is positively controlled by the machineduring the welding operation, the sections are necessarily fixed inproper relationso that the axis of the pillar is vertical when the baseof the pedestal is placed on a horizontal surface. For a morecompleteuhderstanding of this invention, reference may be had to theaccompanying drawings in which Figure 1 illustrates in elevation oneform of pedestal.

' nating at a central opening 7. The pillar welded to the base section.Figure 'Tis a top plan of another form of pedestal.

yFigure 8 is an elevation of the same form. Figure 9 is an elevation ofstill another form of pedestal. f V

Referring first to the form of pedestal illustrated in Figures 1 to 6,it will be noted that this pedestal is built up of three sections asbestillustrated in Figure'2, a base 'sectionl, anintermediate tapered pillarsection2, and atopsection 3 also tapered and forming a continuation ofthe pillar section 2. The section 1 is pressed between dies to the formindicated having preferably a marginal strengthening flange 4 andcountersunk openings 5 within this margin and spaced at suitableintervals around the upper face of the base for the reception offastening screwsby whichthe pedestal may be fixed 'to the floor.Somewhat within the countersunk portions .5 themetal is turned upwardlyon a gradual bend at at 6 termi section 2 is of a diameter at its lowerend such as to mate the diameter of the margin 8 of the base sectionabout the opening 7 and where a. tapered pillar is desired the section2" is swaged down to tapered form in a suitable swaging machine, itslower end remainingof the original diameter and its upper end, as at10,.being ofreduced diameter. The upper section 3 is made from'a tube ofa diameter equal to that of the upper end of the section2 and if it isdesired to taperit, it is swaged similarto the section 2. The upperendof the section 3 may also be swaged inwardly to form a substantially.flat top as at 12 which may be perforated as shown at 13 (see Figures 2and 4) so that the spindle of the chair or other piece of furniture tobesupportedmay slide verticallywithin the pedestal.

In orderto support th's spindle and to fix it at any height desired,spindle guiding and retaming means are shown as carried on the inner"face of the section 3. One of these members comprises-a block 15 havinga boss 16 .which projects through .an opening 17 through the side of theupper section 3.

This boss 16 is perforated and internally,

threaded as at 18 for the reception of the spindle thereagainst usualsecuring bolt 180 (Figure 1) which passes through this threaded openingso that its inner end may bear against the side face oft-he spindle.This block 14 may be fixed in position within the section3 by anysuitable means preferably being spot welded at two or more pointsthereto, one of such'points being indicated at 19.

At the opposite side of this section is positioned a member to take thethrust of the due to the pressure exerted thereon by the securing bolt.shown best in Figure 3 this member comprises a substantially U shapedplate 20 11a ving its flanges 21 provided with projections 22 which maybe passed through holes 23' through the wall of the upper section 3substantially opposite to the block 15,, these portions 22 then beingriveted over the outer face of the section 3 to retain the member 20 inposition. Extending vertically across this member 20 .isa V shapedgroove which is formed slightly inclined, for example, two degrees fromthe vertical when the pedestal is positioned on a horizontal surface.The slot 25 provides a pair of spaced edge portions 26 runningvertically and spaced horizontally disposed angular edges 27 againstwhich the spindle engages, these portions 27 forming spaced bearingpoints on one side ofthe spindle while the bolt passing through theblock leengagcs the opposite side, of the spindle between 'theseportions.

The spindle retaining means having been fixed in position in the uppersection 3, this may then be welded to the intermediate sec tion 2. Themechanism for accomplishing this welding is shown somewhatdiagrammatically in Figure 5. 'Referring to this figure, 30 indicatestheframe of the machine having'mounted in ways thereon a slide 31. Atone end of this slide is positioned a supporting bracket 32 of anysuitable description which carries insulated therefrom a collar 33, theinternal bore or which is shaped torengage the outer face of the section3 of the pedestal. Also carried by the slide 31 by means of aninternally threaded bracket bearingpost 34 is a stop 35 carried at theinner end of a threaded rod 36 adjust able through the bearing post,nuts 37' thereon being employed to-fix the abutment in suitableposition. This collar 33 is con nected to a suitable source of electriccurrent as by a wire 38. 'EXtending from the machine frame 30 1s abracket 40 carrying,

but insulated therefrom an electro-conductive collar 41, which isadapted to be connected to the-other side of the electric cir cuitthrough a wire 42, the collar 41 being formed to. fit the outer face ofthe intermediate section 2. Also iXedto the frame 30 is an upstandingpost 43 provided with an abutment portion 44 at its upper end.

at '50 in Figure 7.

by means of a rod 47 which maybeactuated y any suitable source of poweras for example by a compressed air cylinder shown The section 2 of thepedestal placed against the stop 44 and within the collar 4-1 and thesection 3 is placed within the collar 33 and against the abutment Theslide 31 is then pressed toward the bracket to-bring the sections 2andi-ltogethe'rin axial alinement. Electric current is then passedthrough the conductors 38 and 42 through the collars 33 and 41 andthesections .3 and'Q,this current "being of I such. value as to raisethe abuttin g edges of the sections to welding temperature whereupon thepressure exerted against the slide 31 causes the sections 2 and '3 tobecome welded together. After the weld has been effected the current isshut-off and the slide 31 retracted so as to permit the welded sections2 :and 8 to be removed.

In the next operation the abutment 44 provided with a platen member 51.as shown in Figure 6, against which the base section 1 may be supportedin the position shown in this figure. The collar 41 is then replaced bya collar 55 of a size and 0011* tour to fit the curved portion 6 of thebase section while the bracket 32 is provided with a collar 56 whichfits over the lower portion of the section 2 as now welded to thesection 3. The head 35 is then retracted as shown in this figure so thatit bears against the upper end of the section 3 and the arm 45 is thenrocked to. bring the sections 2 and 3 up against the base section 1.Electric current is then caused to flow across the joint between thesesections through the conducting collars and 56 so as to bring theseabutting edges to the welding temperature, whereupon the pres sureexerted axially of the pedestal through the arm 45 causes a weld betweenthese parts to be effected. The supporting collars in both the weldingoperations cause the parts to be held in proper axial position so thatwhen the pedestal is completely welded together its pillar is verticalwhen its base is supported on a horizontal surface. This weldingproduces thin fins of metal at the joints but theseare readily removedby means of a grinding operation so that a smooth well finished pedestalresults.

It will be noted that such a pedestal may be of sheet material,relatively light and strong, and that there is no tendency to warpduring its manufacture nor is it brittle after completion.

Of course by this method it is possible to make up pedestals of greatvariety of weights and sizes, certain other forms being shown in Figures7 to 9. The pedestals of thesefi'gures are not-designed to receive achair spindle so'that thechair or other article of furniture may beadjustable in height, but in place thereof "the upper section of thepedestal is designed to directly support the desired article. In theform shown in Figures 7 and 8 there ,is a base section'6l), a pillarsection 61 of substantially uni-form cross section fron'i end to'end,and a top section 62 welded together in proper relation, the top section62 being pressed up and having an inclined top face 63 which may besubstantially square in plan and which may be bolted directly to thearticle to be supported. In Figure 9 a somewhat similar construction isshownexcept that the central section 65 is tapered axiall-ysimilarly'to'thesection 2 in the form shown in Figure 1, there being an uppersection 66 of any desired outline in plan and which is shown as providedwith an inclined upperface 67. 'Of course this upper face might be fiatif it should be so desired.

In all of :the instances shown the pedestal has been formed up of threesections welded. together along substantial horizontal planes. It isevident, however, that such pedestals might be formed of any suitablenumber of sections, the number depending on the height of the pedestaland convenience in assembling. This method, however, insures the properalinement of the various sections, the production of a fiat base, andthe accurate positioning of the upper supporting portion of the pedestalwhich carries the superposed article, and makes pos sible a lightsubstantial construction which is admirably suited for the purpose.

Having thus described certain embodiments of this invention, it will beevident to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications might be madetherein without departing from its spirit orscope as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of making a pedestal which comprises forming a basesection, an intermediate pillar section, and a top section fixing insaid top section means for guiding and securing a spindle, and thenfixing said sections together in superposed relation.

2. The method of making a pedestal which comprises forming a hollow topsection having at its upper end a perforation to receive a spindle,fixing in said section beneath said upper end spindle securing andguiding means, and then fixing said section in position on the lowerportion of said pedestal.

3. The method of making a. pedestal which comprises pressing up a sheetmetal base portion having an upwardly rounded portion terminating in acircular opening, swaging a tube section of a diameter to mate themargin of said base about said lilll opening to reduce the size of itsupper end, swaging an upper tube section of the same size as saidreducedv end to upwardly tapering form and closing off its upperenchforminga perforation through saiduppcr end to receive a spindle,fixing spindle guiding and retaining means in said upper tube section,assembling two of said sections in axial relation, bringing theirabutting edges to mation the, larger ends of certain of said tubularportions being of dia-meters to mate the diameters of saidopenings,closing tofl the smaller ends of certain of said taperingportions and fixing spindle guiding and retaining members thereto,assembling said posts and tubular portions in axial relation with, saidclosed ends, remote from said bases, and Welding said bases and sectionstogether. V

I 6. The method of making a pedestal having a pillar of tapered crosssection, which comprises pressing a base portion of sheet metal, swagingtubular sections to the desired taper of said pillar, closing-off the upper endv of the uppersection and fixing spindle guiding and retainingmeans therein, and then Welding said sections successively to saidbaseportion While held in proper alinement. f

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature. i

CHARLES A. BROWN.

